Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has ordered Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) to seek the USD 5 million fine which was imposed on former President Abdulla Yameen after he was found guilty of money laundering.
On November 28, 2019, the Criminal Court of the Maldives sentenced Yameen to five years in prison and handed him a fine of USD 5 million to be paid to Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) by May 28, 2020. However, Yameen has not paid the fine by the set deadline.
AGO stated all the legal documents relevant to the case have been forwarded to MIRA in order to seek the fine in accordance to the Tax Administration Act. Noting any fine imposed under the Criminal Procedure Act must be paid to MIRA by the set deadline, AGO stated the tax authority is mandated to act in accordance to Clause 50 of the Tax Administration Act to collect any fines which have not been paid to the state by the set deadline.
Former President Yameen was found guilty of laundering USD 1 million deposited to his bank account by SOF Private Limited from funds embezzled through the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). An appeal has been submitted at the High Court of the Maldives to overturn the prison sentence.